Frequently Asked Questions

Q: I own the Evolution Overlocker, is there a DVD available for this model in Australia?

We havent made a DVD for this model in Australia however there is an instructional DVD avaliable for the Evolve Wave Overlocker. The stitch settings and techniques are all the same, the only difference is threading the loopers, on the Evolve Wave we press a leaver to thread, on your machine you press a button. There is also a DVD avaliable for the accessories, you can order these from your local Baby Lock retailer.

Q: Can I use the double fold bias binder on the Evolution to bind a quilt?

There is no successful way to bind a quilt continuously using the bias binder. This is because the fabric gets fed in well before the needles stitch the binding to the quilt. You can bind each side individually and finish the corners by hand or sewing machine however this is probably not the desired finish. The binders are used more often for binding garments when a seam is left open i.e. binding a neck of a top, leave a shoulder seam open and overlock the seam closed when the binding is finished. Although corners are difficult to achieve a good finish on, curves are fine therefore projects like babies bibs are suitable.

Q: My Sashiko machine is turned on, the light is on however it won’t sew and the lights on the front panel are not on.

It sounds like your bobbin winder is in the winding position, this can move across if bumped. When this is in the winding position none of the lights on the front display panel will illuminate, and the machine will not stitch. Simply slide the bobbin winder to the left and you will notice the front display panel illuminate and you will be able to sew.

Q: I saw on your website there is a knit binder for the Coverstitch Machine, is this available for the Evolution?

I am sorry to say the knit binder is only available for the BLCS- the stand alone coverstitch machine. The Evolution and Evolve have a large front door which prevents the knit binder being attached; the Coversitch Machine has a different shaped front which allows plenty of space for the knit binder to be attached.

Q: I saw in the instruction manual that my Enlighten can do a ladder stitch; can I use a thicker thread in the needle to sew this stitch? If so do you have any hints?

You can use a size 14 top stitch needle in your Baby Lock when using decorative threads in the needle for stitches such as ladder stitch and blanket stitch. This type of needle has a much larger eye to cope with the decorative threads, when you are no longer using the decorative thread in your needle you need to change to the correct needle system for your machine, for the self-threading machines the four threads use HAx1SP, the eight threads use EL705.

Q: I often have trouble roll hemming on the bias, the fabric moves away and the stitching doesn’t connect. What am I doing wrong?

Fabric cut on the bias has an amount of stretch in it and some fabrics can just be tricky to work with. As fabric feeds under the foot of the overlocker with the differential set on N the fabric stretches and pulls to left – away from the needles, making it difficult to connect.

There are a few things to look at to correct this.

If you are not wishing the fabric to flute, increase differential feed to 1.3 or 1.5, this feeds the fabric into the machine at a faster rate and combats the fabric stretching.

Check you are using the correct size needle for lightweight fabric i.e. a size 11 or 12, a 14 is too large for lightweight fabrics and punches holes which are far too big, resulting in the hem falling off the fabric.

Make sure the needle is not blunt, replace with a new one if required.

Increase the stitch length slightly. Often when sewing on lightweight fabrics, we shorten the stitch length so much that it ends up perforating the fabric, as the needle is stitching too closely. Increasing the stitch length slightly will correct this.

Increase the stitch width, this will allow the stitch to grab more fabric.

If none if the above suggestions work and you still have a problem, cut a narrow strip of soluble stabilizer and place it under the raw edge of the fabric. This stabilizes the fabric, preventing any stretch and will wash away later.

Q: The coverstitch on my Evolve doesn’t always chain off like it is supposed to.

The Baby Lock combination machines and stand-alone coverstitch machines are designed to chain off when using coverstitch and chain stitch. This is a huge advantage as it prevents the coverstitch or chain stitch unravelling if the chain looper becomes loose. Some of the older models require a long stitch length, 4, for this to occur. As your needles leave the edge of the fabric, increase the stitch length to 4 and keep your foot constantly on the foot control to create the length of chain required. If you stop sewing and begin again without fabric under the needles the machine will not chain as it needs fabric to form the coverstitch in the beginning.

Q: Can I thread Woolly Nylon through the looper of a self-threading machine? It doesn’t blow through like overlocking thread.

Woolly Nylon is beautiful on the upper looper of the overlocker when roll hemming or in the chain looper for coverstitch. It doesn’t blow through the self-threading loopers as it is so soft and stretchy. In your large accessory pack in the top of your machine box is a small silver wire with a loop at one end. Lock the threading ports and gently feed the straight end of the wire into the threading port. Stop when the end appears out of the eye of the looper, thread the woolly nylon through the small silver loop and pull the wire gently to take the thread through the looper.

Q: My friend borrowed my Embellishing Machine and broke most of the needles the first time she used it, I don’t have this problem, can you tell me what happened?

Most often when many needles are broken in one sitting it is a technique issue. If the fabric is being pushed and pulled at the needles, they are put under great stress and can break. The best technique to use with the Embellishing Machine is a gentle circular motion without pushing and pulling. Also ensure the needle guard is at the correct height for the thickness of fabric, if the fabric is thick it needs to be raised to allow the fabric through with ease.

Q: I am sewing baby’s bibs with thick towelling and the overlocker doesn’t like the thick bulk.

Check the setting of the presser foot height adjustment, this looks a little like a screw on the top of the machine, if it is turned down very low, insert a 10c coin into the top and turn the screw to the left to reduce the amount of pressure on the fabric and make the feeding easier. When sewing lighter weight fabric, this can be adjusted back down easily to create the amount of presser foot pressure required. Also check the foot you are using on the machine, when working with thicker fabrics the Flat Sole Foot is a better choice over the Grooved/Standard foot as it feeds more evenly because of the solid base of the foot.